grumania

Hello, the MW 44 is now also placed ( older photos show JetCat P60 template in fuselage) and I am now satisfied with the placement.Photos show the layout - even with the scale retraction angles and leg&wheel position it fits like a glove on a hand.The pic from behind shows how spacious the fuselage is where the turbine is mounted.The extreme large wheel doors allow the turbine mounting through the openings and this means that no hatch is necessary that would disturb the scale surface detailing.
Second thing to do last week was to construct the formers for the rear section and make another rear fuselage to evaluate weights.This was very surprising ! The original prototype fuselage rear section weighed in at 367 gramms with just the front former and nothing else.
The new one has all formers (three in total) and weighs only 275 gramms !!! This is 25 % less than the original layout, although this new fuselage is much stronger.The most important former is the diagonal one which runs from the bottom up to the fin tip. It is also the one to take rudder hinges - on this prototype I chose a peel ply flex hinge to save weight and to test the hinge function. This type of hinge is not scale but I like its simplicity and precision - not to talk about weight savings !
Will make a new front fuselage next week with all the new formers and ducting included - just can`t wait the weighing of this new part !
Trying out different techniques is really exciting.
Will keep you updated
By the way, the website has been updated with informations about the F 100 ( www.grumania.de )
Cheers
Ilja

icepilot

Ilja,

it looks amazing! I am looking forward to hearing about the first flight and see how the small turbine performs in this beautiful plane!
It looks quite a bit larger than the SU27, but it's an older design and was propably not made for a lot of power back in those days!

I will be going to Dubai tomorrow, and work there for almost 2 weeks, and even though there was a little snow here this week, it's
disappearing again, so maybe I can have a couple of flights with both the Flanker and the new F-15 before winter sets in for real!

Cheers!

Tor

JetNoise

What size of EDF setup would you be able to put in this airframe?

Can you recomend a setup for sea level and one for high altitude (5000 asl).

Thanks

Dale

grumania

Oh , sorry - I am not an expert on the elctric side.This seems to be something very special as in another German forum about this Super Sabre people sharing their recommendations. Daniel Schubeler who has designed the incredible 120 mm unit did say that the 120 mm version would be a bit too large and a special 110 mm fan could be made. Normally a 90 mm fan should be enough.
That has to be tested, as said before I am a pure turbine user.
Ilja

grumania

Forward fuselage has been made , this time with all formers inside. Again I achieved an extreme weight saving.While the previous one had an empty weight of 574 gramms, the ARF fuselage has now only 597 gramms.It has not only all the formers, but a glass fibre front duct aswell. So now I had a comparison between the type 1 without formers and type 2 with all formers. While the first one had 943 gramms, this one has 890 gramms only. It was a real pleasure to see that retracts and turbine fitted perfectly. The nose gear mount seems to be rock steady and while being a closed box system , saving the engine from sucking debris.
Next to do is a new set of wings and stabs with a different sandwich layer - another weight saving is expected.
So far for now, hope the pics tell the story
Ilja

harald huf

Hi Ilja,
Your F100 looks very very good!
Hope to see it flying soon! You know that I favor big planes - but this little beauty could change my mind!!
best regards,
Harald Huf

grumania

Have made the early type "eyelid"- afterburner -nozzle to replace the late style one I made for the prototype Sabre. This will be the one for the standard kit and is easier to mount.It has a ply former inside and is optimized to fit the stainless steel rear duct system for the F -100. Diametre at the end is 88 mm - hopefully the right size for the EDF conversion.
Of course this part is 100% scale and detailed like all other parts (has 24 segments).Weight on the prototype was about half an ounce.
Pictures show comparison between the late style and the standard type nozzle.
Ilja

titaniumr

Hi Ilja,

Thanks for promptly replying my queries. F100 is awesomely detailed!! I'm still working my way up on flight experiece, inspired fully by your Su-27!

Regards,
Terence

grumania

Next big step is done now, completing the next Prototype for weight evaluations.The new set of wings and stabs has a different sandwich layout compared to the previous one. New wings have all formers , plug in,and retract mounts, also functional ailerons ready hinged and cut out servo boxes and weigh in at 582 gramms ( prototypes 770 gramms).
The new set of elevators have now an overworked plug in system that allows detaching while leaving the plug in in the fuselage. These weigh in at 134 gramms ( prototypes 145 gramms).
So , by achieving a weight saving of about 200 gramms, I now have stronger and also ready to use parts at a time ! A quite satisfying result for now.
The flex hinged ailerons are very precise and aerodynamically clean as they could be. This is one of the very few compromises to burden the scale side. Anyway, its practical, its clean, much easier than a traditional hinge so doesn`t need an excuse.
As I wanted an almost invisible servo and linkage , I placed the servo box under a weappon station.This will later hide most of the linkage and servo box hatch. Also visible in the shots is that only the outer aileron is movable. From my experience with another SuperSabre model I know that this is enough. With the full length aileron it would be too agile and a sensitive trimming hard. Nevertheless - the peel ply band under the skin is running the whole length of the aileron and a later conversion to larger ailerons is an easy job.

JetNoise

This is superb. Nice shots of the construction.
Keep up the good work.

When will the first kits be available.
What sort of options packages will you offer?

Dale

grumania

Think to start with deliveries at the beginning of next year.Still some refinements to do. As this will be an ARF+ kit, a lot of details have to be considered on my side. Optional kit parts will be retracts, legs & wheels.Weappon stations, weappons, pilot figure , cockpit is planned and I already prepared these things. At the moment I concentrate my head on the essential work on the prototype models- its beginning to get exciting now for me.

Meanwhile I put everything together and put it on the weight scale again. 1690 gramms ( 1pound,4 1/2 " ) !
This is the one on the pictures. The bottom view shows the open main wheel wells.These are of scale size and big enough to access the engine.The nose gear bay has been opened also to check the glue joints of the internals while the wing retract openings ( wheel doors ) are still shut.These will be cut open after the first flight tests without the retracts. I`ll equip it now with the radio and do the CG evaluation.
Ilja[color=#FF0000]

grumania

News !
Finally I have flown the Super Sabre.As usual I made the first test flights at a hill. The best ( and cheapest ) way to check if CG calculations have been right.The effectiveness of ailerons and elevators can be tested also.
The model weighed in at 2115 gramms, at the given wing area this is a wing load of just 56.9 gramms/ dm² !
That was very promising and so I wasn`t concerened about the poor wind we had yesterday ( 25 km /hour). I chose a hill that flattens out at the bottom. My helper was warned not to throw the model. Although the first attempt ended in a 5 second flight and a very funny " landing"of the helper ( you got to see that video ! hahahahahah ), we achieved some nice longer glides later. It was impressive to see that the model flew perfectly from the very beginning - just a few steps and a slight push and up she was, even climbing. Gravity did the rest. The hill was too flat to make long flights but even the few "hops" that the Sabre did have been very informative and were a nice reward for the last 16 months of hard work on the model. The flights have been filmed and can be seen at :
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5029740/tm.htm
Ilja

JetNoise

Very inpressive. Looks good in the air and on the ground.

The size is just right. Not to big to require a trailer, and not to small to look like a toy.

When do you think the first production models will be available?
Did you do the slope soaring with or without the turbine installed?

Dale

Thomas B

My Feedback: (4)

Ralf Dvorak is working up the EDF ducting system for this model. There is a growing discussion thread on electrifying this very nice F-100 over here on R/C Groups:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...t=598405&pp=15

grumania

I think that the first models will be ready at the beginning of 2007. Weather is beginning to get nasty now and all is depending on the final test flights. So I am in a hurry with the preparation of a powered Super Sabre.
Ilja

siclick33

That looks like a beautiful model. Are there any approximate price figures yet?

grumania

The price will be around 1200,- Euros for a super deluxe kit.
Ilja

icepilot

CONGRATULATIONS; ILJA!!

This is what I call a GREAT frontpage!! Looking good - I can't wait!!

Cheers,
Tor

siclick33

What is included in the Deluxe kit?

Is there likely to be a 'basic' kit or just the 'deluxe' version?


Depending on what is included for the price, this could be a VERY good model.

grumania

The deluxe kit will include everything you can imagine. It is a ready built model with hinged flying surfaces, all linkages , retract mounts ready to install the gear, inbuilt front duct with battery pocket. Plug ins ready made. Detachable rear fuselage,detachable afterburner nozzle ( eyelid style), servo mounts , servo leads and disconnect plugs, all screws, ect.. The surface is also prepared with an automotive two pack filler - wax- or grease free, i.e. the highly (and very fine) detailed surface does not require extensive sanding.For those who go for the polished version of the F-100 , the model will be in a black finish to give a perfect base for the "chrome finish".
I am thinking on other add ons in the future ( the cockpit area is prepared to take a cockpit at scale measures ) , fixpoints for weappon stations are prepared. I will offer retract sets made by Jet-1A again, as I think they make the best retracts in the world.
Ilja

grumania

By preparing one of the prototypes, I redesigned the main fin spar to take the rudder servo that was originally planned to be placed much further forward. This redesign was worth while the extra time. Being in the fin base,the servo is now far away from excessive heat. It can be screwed in place from the bottom using a short screwdriver. Secondly I now have a much shorter linkage, eliminating play and flutter tendencies.The very short rod is now crossing from the right side ( where the servo arm is ) to the left side - the rudder horn. I will place the rudder horn IN the rudder, i.e. it will be a completely hidden and scale like linkage. The chosen servo is a digital one from Graupner with 9 kilogramm power ( static).
The two ribs that are interlocking with the spar have holes. These take the tank overflow fuel line which exits at the scale fuel jettison pipe that is clearly visible on the full size Sabre. The overflow couldn`t be placed better. Its high above the tank and excessive fuel doesnt run down the fuselage. Like on the real thing, the rear fuselage is detachable ( at the scale separation line) and this will make the use of a Festo quicklink neccessary to disconnct the fuel line of the overflow. A picture of the disassembled F100 tail shows the same fuel line at the same location. Looks like the mechanic is inspecting the Graupner servo !!!
Ilja

grumania

Maiden flight successfully completed !!!!!!!!
On a cold and misty sunday, Rainer Kamitz made the first test flight for me - just in time to win the bet that I WILL do it this year.
Again , I made a film but it will probably take a few days until I can put it online.Here just a few specs of the model:
Dry weight is 4500 gramms plus 1litre of kerosine on board.Thrust measured was 4.8 kilos. The added nose ballast of 30 gramms have been found to be unneccessary - with just two light LIPO battery packs in the very nose , the model should be perfect ballanced now.
So , the expected CG, wing airfoil and elevator throws are exactly matching my calculations aswell as the desired take off weight and power/ weight relation. Up to now we have tested some aerobatics aswell as slow flying qualities with no tendencies to flip over or stall - this was absolutely satisfying !!!
As said, I will do my best to get the video online so keep in touch with the threat
Ilja
PS: picture shows Rainer Kamitz to my right - Germanys top show pilot at every event - THANK YOU RAINER !

WrenTurbines

Well done Ilja! It looks as if the MW44 Gold is just right for this airframe, as we thought. It is so good to see such a lovely scale plane.

Sara and the Team
Wren Turbines

Dave03B

I second that! Congrats - hope to see the maiden soon.

Merry Christmas one and all.

icepilot

Great job, Ilja - I am really looking forward to seeing the video!
I also look forward to having my plane early next year - I know you have been working hard on this one,
and it has to be the best looking model in this class!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!!

Tor